There’s something about knowing that I have a pound of kale in my fridge that makes my heart race. Partly because I know that by ingesting it, I’ll be doing so much good for my body.
And partly because I’m thinking, “what am I going to do with it before it goes bad?!”
No need to stress about that any more though. This lentil, sweet potato and kale dish is not only super easy to throw together, but it’s delicious. And it’s also a nutritional powerhouse, so from here on out, you can reserve your heart racing for other more rational things. [click to continue…]
Photo: Quinn Dombrowski
By: Allana Mortell
Cucumber water is perhaps one of the most refreshing drinks out there and is incredibly simple to make. It also is the base for this perfect spring cocktail. Cucumbers are currently in season and with the unseasonably warm spring we’ve been having, they’re the perfect veggie to throw in salads, stir-frys and now, cocktails.
Eating one serving of cucumbers will give you vitamin A, C, and K along with plenty of calcium, iron, zinc and potassium. Because cucumbers are so high in water content, they help rid your body of toxins and reduce under-eye swelling and skin inflammation. Cucumbers are also proven to help soothe sunburn relief, which is a great thing to keep in mind before the sweltering summer comes around.
The first step in making this cocktail is preparing the cucumber water. [click to continue…]
By: Saira Malhotra
Butterscotch has a vintage-like presence in our dessert selections. It occasionally makes an appearance at the ice cream stand or perhaps takes the form of a hard candy (offered, no doubt, by the hands of a grandparent), but that is about it!
This week, I had the craving for something buttery and smooth. I sought a dessert that tasted like a Werther’s Original but with an ‘adult’ edge to it. What could fit the build better than a ‘spiked’ butterscotch tart? The result: a creamy toffee-tasting tart with a ‘hum’ of warm scotch. [click to continue…]
Photo: jules
Since “El Clasico” is very clearly on our minds, we figured what better way to celebrate the weekend with some classic tapas recipes! To kick off the big soccer match tomorrow, why not serve yourself and your guests some small munchies, all prepared in the Spanish style tradition of small plates & tapas.
The word “tapa” literally means a “cover” and began when, as legend states, sherry drinkers would cover their glasses between sips with small slices of bread or meat to prevent fruit flies from flying into their glasses. Since then, the Spanish small plates have been incorporating many different ingredients and influences from different cultures and countries, hence why you see Mexican, Latin, Italian and Puerto Rican types of tapas – not just Spanish.
Since dinner is usually served much later in Spain, sometimes not until 9 and 11 p.m., there is a good chunk of time between after work and dinner when frankly, people gotta eat! To fill that void, many restaurants and local bars started serving up smaller plates of food, usually between eight and twelve different types of tapas, ranging from strongly flavored seafood, to olives, cured and cooked meats, cheeses, bread and the like as a way for guests to munch on snacks before dinner.
Tapas bars and restaurants have been on the radar for years and while a night out noshing on small plates and sipping on sangria can be wonderful, we’ve put together a few simple springtime tapas recipes (paired with cocktails of course) that will transport you and your taste buds directly to Spain! [click to continue…]
The truth of the matter is that rhubarb is a vegetable in fruit’s clothing, and our intention is to take a stand against its duplicitous nature. No longer will the wool be pulled over our strawberry-rhubarb-dream-filled eyes.
Here we dress it up with ginger and spice, smear it over a pizza crust, and top it with cheese. If you can’t depend on a lattice crust-filled future, at least you can have your pie and eat it too. And in a topsy-turvy world where up is down and down is up and fruits are actually vegetables…sometimes, that’s all we can ask for. [click to continue…]
By: Laura Ratliff and Ryan Smith
One of the greatest picnic-friendly dishes to make in the spring is pizza! Not only does it not require utensils to eat, but there are also endless possibilities for your favorite toppings. While pizza is not only delicious in New York City; it’s also readily available. Some of the best shops in the entire city—John’s, Keste, Joe’s, and Bleecker Street Pizza—are within a one-block radius of our apartment, meaning that there’s not a huge incentive for us to make our own pies. Regardless, we’ve been doing just that!
While I don’t make the dough at home, I think I’ve mastered the topping-to-dough ratio and the perfect art of that crispy, crackling crust. Making pizza at home is fast and happens to be a great way to use seasonal ingredients, especially those that are about to spoil in the crisper, as we’ve discovered.
Before I started making pies at home, I wanted to make sure that I could replicate that shattering crust that so many of the best shops in the city have. We don’t have a pizza oven, or even a pizza stone, but with a baking sheet and a bit of experimentation, I found a method that works. [click to continue…]
A day comes along every now and then when you look in your fridge and ask yourself “what am I supposed to do with this?” On these days, dinner can feel like a chore, but it’s a great excuse to raid your fridge and test your kitchen improv skills.
Keeping good staples in your fridge will make these days less painful. There are a few ingredients that are always in my pantry, fridge or freezer: tomatoes, eggs, mustard, chicken broth, and bacon. Adding one of these ingredients to a dish of leftovers almost always boosts the dish. Putting them together gives you almost all the fixings for a Cobb salad, my favorite hearty salad. Chopped into tiny pieces and tucked into a soft flour wrap, these leftovers make a fresh and tasty lunch. [click to continue…]
Photo: Paul & Christa
By: Allana Mortell
When it’s high 60s and sunny, all I’m thinking about is what I’ll be having at my next picnic. In reality though, you have to be smart in terms of food options. You want to be practical while still packing a flavor punch. Since you and your dining companions will be eating al fresco, its best to enjoy your meal sans utensils, rather taking the time to soak up the sun, chomp on some rosemary-infused nuts, play some frisbee and have an outdoor dance party to the your favorite tunes blasting from your iPod.
To ease the stress of planning from your shoulders, we’ve compiled a three-course meal sure to please any picnic veteran. To start Sweet & Spicy Rosemary-Infused Nuts, followed by a Roasted Vegetable Sandwich with Sriracha Butter, and for a sweet ending try our “Inside-out” Chocolate Cupcakes with Whipped Vanilla Frosting. Your picnic cannot be any more perfect than this! [click to continue…]
Photo: Paul Goyette
We can’t seem to stop admiring the great spring vegetable that is the asparagus! Its crisp and light flavors scream spring and with of their nutritional benefits, we can’t help but feature them yet again in this quick dinner solution for your Meatless Monday.
Although the quiche has been traditionally associated with French cuisine, it actually originated in Germany. The original quiche, the quiche lorraine, was an open pie that had egg and cream custard with bits of bacon. Over time, it has developed into a delicacy that has been widely adapted. Many variants of the quiche have incorporated different vegetables, and this mushroom and asparagus quiche is a perfect example. [click to continue…]
Sometimes I just want dinner to be effortless. I want it to soar in on a spring breeze, land on my dinner table and be so healthy that it almost hurts. And by “hurts” I mean, makes my heart skip a beat!
Such dinners are pipe dreams in my kitchen… until now. This stir fry, which is rife with Asian flavors, as well as downright loaded with eggplant and bell peppers will take under 30 minutes to prepare while leaving your taste buds satisfied for hours after eating. Winner winner, stir fry dinner! [click to continue…]
BY JOANNE BRUNO
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